Nasal Carriage Rate Of Staphylococcus aureus, Associated Factor And Its Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns Among Students Of Collage Of Health And Medical Science WITH Clinical Attachment

Abstract Background: Staphylococcus aureus infections, including methicillin-resistant strains, are increasing globally. Medical students are at a higher risk of contracting this pathogen due to their close contact with health facilities during their clinical attachments. Limited studies exist in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia. Objective: to assess the nasal carriage rate of S. aureus, associated factors, and antibiotic susceptibility patterns among students of Haramaya University, College of Health and Medicine Sciences students with clinical attachment, Harar Eastern Ethiopia from July 01 to August 30, 2022. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 250 study participants using a stratified random sampling method. Data were collected via structured questionnaires. Nasal swabs were cultured on Mannitol Salt Agar and Blood Agar at 37°C for 24 hours. Staphylococcus aureus was identified using catalase and coagulase tests. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was screened using the Cefoxitin disk diffusion method on Muller Hinton agar. The data was entered and analyzed by SPSS version 25 software. Chi-square test was used to determine factors associated with the nasal carriage of Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In this study, Staphylococcus aureus prevalence was 8% (95% CI: 4.6%-11.3%) and Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus prevalence was 4.8% (95% CI: 2.1%-7.4%) among 250 participants. Significant factors for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage included nose-picking habit (P=0.001) and dormitory student count (P=0.05). MRSA strains displayed high resistance, with 100% resistance to Ampicillin and Penicillin, 66.7% to Tetracycline, 25% to Erythromycin and Ciprofloxacin, 16% to Co-trimoxazole and Gentamicin. Chloramphenicol and Clyndamycin showed complete susceptibility. Conclusion: The study reveals significant MRSA prevalence with resistance to common antibiotics. Nasal carriage associates with nose-picking and dormitory size. Enhanced hygiene education and stringent antibiotic stewardship are recommended to mitigate MRSA spread, particularly in communal living environments.